Tick Tock
by OzDust
Summary: What could be going through Emily's mind while she waited up for Rory during Rory's Dance? ONESHOT


A.N. This takes place during the episode Rory's Dance, season one. What could be going through Emily's head while she waited up for Rory and how she felt.

The dialouge in _**bold italic** _is taken from the show, it's not mine.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, it all belongs to the WB and ASP.**

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I heard the clock as I read it was just a little past eleven and Rory wasn't home. I'm sure Lorelai had told her and that boy that later would be ok. I wasn't as stupid as I am sure Lorelai thought. I glanced at her sleeping form and saw her give a big sigh. _My poor daughter _I thought and turned away.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I distantly heard that rhythm as I glanced out the window. _Where is she_ I wondered? It was after midnight.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I sat up abruptly; I must have been asleep. I glanced at my watch, 1:00 am. I sifted my eyes and passed over my daughter. I moved them back and watched she sleep on that hideous couch of hers. _How can she do that _I wondered, but she had always been like that? A rebel, able to overcome any obstacles that would prevent her from sleeping, enabling her to sleep just about anywhere. But back to Rory, where could she be? _Is it time to wake Lorelai_ I pondered. There could be consequences so I thought about it but then I saw a subtle flinch come from her and decided against telling her. Her back was enough pain and stress right now. I looked back out the window.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I was jerked awake by lights through the window. Hopefully Rory back, finally. As I looked outside I saw not a car in this driveway but in the neighbors. _Rory where are you,_ I wanted to cry! This was not like her, staying out late, **with a boy**. A boy she shouldn't be with, he wasn't good enough for her. She should have better. She should've and could've had a better life. A life with parties, dresses and proper food. I shut my eyes and imagined what their life could've been like.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I must have slept because the next time I saw my watch and glanced out the window the sun was peeking out. It was morning and my back ached. Sleeping in that chair had not been a good idea. I looked at the clock, 5:30 am! Rory should be home now, I hoped. I got up, stretched a little and walked into the kitchen. I peeked into Rory's room, expecting to see her snuggled up but to my shock and dismay the bed was made, and the room empty. I rushed out of that room, through the kitchen to wake up my daughter.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

That rhythm echoed through my ears as my daughter rushed into Rory's room.

_**"Where's the phone? Call the police."**_ I heard myself say, but she just strolled out of that room.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

_**"What are you doing? Call the police! Call the police!"**_ What _was_ she doing just walking around? I heard her yell, but really didn't hear anything.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

Soon it became a battle. I yelled, she yelled as I followed her around.

_**"This is an emergency and you can't even find the phone. What if there was a fire? What if Rory was choking?"**_ I yelled with concern.

_**"Mom, stop yelling!"**_ This I heard as we both stopped. But I had to counter.

_**"Rory is missing!"**_

_**"I know that and your yelling is not helping me!"**_ We separated both looking for that phone as if we only had a few minutes.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

Ring… I heard the phone and rushed to the sound. Lorelai got there first, and I waited anxiously as she talked. Hearing snippets of the conversation with a Patty. I knew that name, from somewhere.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I waited for what seemed like forever. Waiting to hear about Rory.

_**"Rory's OK."** _She said and I let out a sigh.

_**"Where is she? What happened?"**_ I asked quickly. She explained that they had been at Miss. Patty's. _What kind of place is that_ I wondered? Instead of keeping my cool I had to be me once again and ask,

_**"What is that, a motel?"**_ Lorelai replied with a sigh ,

_**"Um, it's a dance studio. That was Patty. She said that she found them asleep and woke them up and Rory's on her way home."**_ All I heard though was that they were both found asleep. **_Both of them?_**

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

_**"In what state were they found in?"**_ I had asked. I didn't want to know, but I already did although Lorelai denied it. She went to make coffee and I followed. I had watched her do stupid things and wasn't going to let Rory follow in those steps.

_"**I will not stand by and let you allow that girl to ruin her life."**_

_**"Mom -- back off."**_ _No_, I thought, I will not!

_**"She spent the night out with that boy, the one you let her run off to that dance with."**_

_**"Mom, so help me God, I will not get into this with you."**_ _And why was that,_ I wondered

_**"She's doing the same thing you did."**_ Well not exactly the same thing, but I was close.

_**"No she's not."**_ Lorelai yelled!

_**"She's going to get pregnant."**_ _And ruin her chances of greatness_ I wanted to add.

_**"No she's not."**_ Lorelai yelled back with more force then before.

_**"She's gonna ruin everything just like you did."**_ She's going to hurt you like you hurt me.

_**"No she's not! No she's not! No she's not! Rory is a good kid, Mom! She's not me."**_ Well at least we thought that Rory was a good kid.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

_**"Get out!"**_ She yelled.

_**"What?"**_ I asked in shock.

_**"You will not come into my house and tell me I threw my life away. Look around, Mom. This is a life. It has a little color in it so it may look a little unfamiliar to you, but it's a life. And if I hadn't gotten pregnant I wouldn't have Rory."**_

_**"You know that's not what I meant."**_ I tried to sound as truthful as I could.

_**"Maybe I was some horrible uncontrollable child like you say, but Rory isn't. She's smart and careful and I trust her and she's gonna be fine and if you can't accept that or believe it, then I don't want you in this house!"**_ Now I felt dizzy, how could she talk to me like that?

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

I stormed out of that house, regretting everything I had said. What was I doing saying those things about both my girls? I knew Rory wasn't going to get pregnant, Rory was not Lorelai. Maybe Lorelai was right, now that I saw her defend Rory, like a mother should, maybe I wasn't a good mother. And then it hit me, smack in the face! I was turning into my mother in law. Saying those things about their life, putting down both of them, the life Lorelai had worked so hard to get. But still she had no right to yell at me like that; I was her mother after all. I unlocked the car, glaring intensely at the house. Then I left with my watch reminding me of pain not yet gone.

**Tick Tock Tick Tock**

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A.N 2: So that's it!Please review and I'm working on my other story right now, Chain Bound but I"m looking for a beta. So let me know if your interested!


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